


A Different Way to Form a Pact

by MegumitheGreat



Series: Let's Do a Heart Fusion! [1]
Category: Tales of Zestiria
Genre: Ar Tonelico game mechanic, Attempt at Humor, Bathtubs, Borrowed plot device, Crack, Euphemism, Fluff, Itty-bitty spoilers, M/M, One Shot, Personality Fusion, Team member recruitment, Training, Video Game Mechanics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-17
Updated: 2016-08-17
Packaged: 2018-08-09 09:52:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7797220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MegumitheGreat/pseuds/MegumitheGreat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Rose told Sergei and she and Sorey were married, Mikleo got jealous.  Edna wants to "help" him with the ancient "technique" called Heart Fusion!</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Different Way to Form a Pact

**Author's Note:**

> I'm only borrowing a mechanic/plot-device from Ar Tonelico 3: Qoga of the Knell of Ar Ciel, so I don't think it goes into two fandoms. If anyone thinks otherwise, I'll change it. For all intents and purposes in this one shot, Personality Fusion (the borrowed mechanic/plot-device) is called Heart Fusion. It's kind of like Armatization but there's a lot more fanservice.

As Sorey washed up, Mikleo and the other seraphim and Rose hung out in their room to reflect and refine on battle strategies. After the battle talk was done, Rose, whose reputation in Pendrago got them a cheaper price, was on her way out the door for some fresh air and a walk around the fountain. Dezel insisted on going with her only to be told it was unnecessary; he still went with her.

Lailah the fire seraph and Prime Lord to Sorey was rearranging her fortune-telling papers, Edna addressing the Normin mascot attached to her umbrella when both of them realized that Mikleo was rather quiet. He had an intense expression. No, rather it was an irritable one. “How could she call him her husband?” he grumbled. “I mean, yeah it was a ruse, but she could have said sister or…or childhood friend—actually, no, that would be equally bad.”

Edna grimaced in his direction, yelling a flat, “Be quiet!” at him. Lailah, however, wanted him to talk more about this problem.

“Do tell, what are you so flustered about, Meebo?” Lailah cheerfully sang. She touched her fingertips together in a sort of enthusiasm that had always made Mikleo and Sorey nervous. “Judging by the word ‘wife’, you’re angry at Rose for telling Sergei that they were a married couple! Am I right? Did I win?”

Mikleo’s ears turned red from embarrassment. He quickly averted his gaze in a vain attempt to hide any notion that he was, in fact, jealous. After all, Rolance’s strongest knight was now living under the pretense that Sorey—as young and blissfully ignorant as he was—and Rose—as young and rambunctious as she was—were a happily wedded pair. White carnations and roses rained from the top of the gazebo, their white clothes catching them like butterflies.

“Wow, I didn’t think you’d be the type to be _that_ possessive of Sorey,” Edna commented. “Even to have the imagination to dream up what their wedding would look like—Yander-bo.”

“I’m not possessive!” Mikleo snapped back. He was only mad because they had only recruited the merchant-by-day-assassin-by-night not too long ago in a desperate situation. The memory that Sorey thought she would be a good asset to their team made his blood simmer albeit that it was undeniable. “And that girl has the nerve to partner with me sometimes. What if I want to stay with Sorey?!” He pouted and swung his fists like a child throwing a tantrum. “If only there was a way to deepen my pact with him…if only I could be stronger for him…”

Lailah brought her check-marked fingers to her chin, a devilish smirk sprawling on her lips. “My, my, Meebo! Could it be that you have stronger feelings for our great Shepherd?” she giggled. This time Mikleo’s face reddened fearing that he was being extremely obvious about the whole ordeal. He flopped on his bed, hiding his face in one of the cleaned pillows then putting the same pillow over his head. “How oddly cute! I didn’t think it was possible for a seraph and a human to fall in love! Especially males of either species!”

Edna shook her head. She couldn’t believe that Lailah was so entertained by Mikleo’s plight. It wasn’t the fact he was in love but rather the idea that he was so bothered by it. Though his wish that there was a way to deepen the pact with him planted a devious seed in her mind. Technically, deepening the pact would usurp Lailah as the Prime Lord…if such a method actually existed. And he didn’t have to know that it didn’t. Furthermore, a little prank never hurt anyone. Well, perhaps a prank that would emotionally destroy someone would garner some malevolence, but would it really be her fault if Mikleo believed her? If that was the case, would Mikleo garner malevolence because of his sensual desires? Was love and the next step really that taboo? She didn’t know. What she did know was that this was the perfect chance to get back at him for any and all insults he’s thrown at her since their initial meeting.

“There is one way…” Edna said, her tone as unchanging as ever.

Lailah shot wide jade eyes at her. Unbeknownst to her, Edna had the _perfect_ method. The fire seraph yanked the pillow away from the disquieted water seraph, pulling his hand so that the two were sitting in front of Edna on the floor Seiza-syle. Lailah gave her a deep and long bow; her nose touched the floorboards and her hands even and flat before her head. “Teach us, O Great Master Edna!” she humbly implored. “Teach our poor Meebo how to deepen his pact with our Great Shepherd!”

“S-Stop calling me that!” Mikleo chastised.

As Edna began to think of a way, she worried that Lailah would try it herself. The earth seraph nevertheless cleared her throat. “It is an ancient technique, one that has fallen from use. It is known as…as…Heart Fusion!” she lectured with grandeur.

“Oh my!” Lailah cooed.

“To carry out this ancient technique, the chosen seraph and his Shepherd must find a secluded area. They must remove as much clothes as possible, for this technique requires that the seraph and the Shepherd have as much skin as possible available for contact. Once all clothes have been removed, the seraph must bring his body to the Shepherd in embrace, touching every inch of skin. After a few minutes, the pact will be deepened. If the seraph is a Sub-Lord and overdoes the Heart Fusion, he can potentially usurp the Prime Lord, so be careful.” Edna finished her speech with a dignified look of pretending not to care. If she showed interest, Mikleo would catch on, and that would be bad for business.

Mikleo, on the other hand, seemed dubious at first. Even if they found a remote location, who was to say that the other seraphim wouldn’t just butt in? When he proposed this little problem, Edna added in that Heart Fusion would bar the other seraphim from the Shepherd’s mind and body like a seal.

“Lovesick-leo, maybe you can ask Sorey to take you out training! After all, the area around Pendrago has a bunch of hellions you can fight,” Lailah suggested. The genuine tone, the pure intent—Edna had to be right for once. Lailah believed Heart Fusion to be an actual method of deepening the pact between seraph and human.

“Now? Sorey is in the bath,” Mikleo replied. “When he’s done, it’s more than likely he’ll want to go to bed.”

Edna and Lailah suddenly disappeared into green orbs of light. Mikleo was now alone free to ponder if he should really talk to Sorey about it. Not about the Heart Fusion; talking about their nuances with each other tended to help them settle it—at least that’s what Gramps said. Then he thought about Gramps. Would he be disappointed in him for being so childish? Would he be confused as to _why_ Mikleo was getting so hot and bothered by Rose? He snapped back to reality after noticing that Lailah and Edna had never come back. He regrouped with them and Sorey, but as luck would have it, Lailah and Edna pushed him out.

“I didn’t even know they could do that…!” Mikleo said in disbelief.

Sorey emerged from the bathroom. His face showed something between confusion and irritation, but he still smiled when he saw Mikleo; he always did when he saw him.

“So, you’ll do it?” Lailah asked after materializing outside of his body.

“Yeah, Weakly-o is literally weaker than everyone else,” Edna added.

Sorey scratched at his damp hair. It was late. He was exhausted. Mikleo didn’t look particularly interested in late-night training, but he was obligated as the Shepherd and, more importantly, as Mikleo’s best friend to keep him on his toes. Out of courtesy for Lailah and Edna, Sorey had gotten dressed in the bathroom; he only picked up his sword before heading to the door.

“Let’s go, Mikleo! You’re not getting any stronger sitting on that bed with that silly look on your face!” the brunet cheerfully joked. Without even thinking about it for a second, Mikleo assimilated into Sorey. “Nope, you’re walking just like me.”

Mikleo materialized and whined, “But why? You know I don’t run very fast. I’m a delicate flower compared to you! And besides, I’d just slow you down…”

“Well, that’s why you’ve got to run. It’ll build stamina.”

“Look, Sorey, I don’t think this is a good idea…uh, early to bed, early to rise makes the Shepherd healthy and wise?”

“Oh, my God, get out…” Edna sighed. She pushed the two of them out.

***

As Sorey and Mikleo walked to the entrance gate of Pendrago leading out to the Pearloats Pasture, Mikleo peeked out of the corner of his eye every once in a while at his friend. Just what did they tell him? He was too afraid to ask, but the desire to know was burning inside so intensely that he was contrastingly prepared to flat out ask him what he heard.

“Hey, Mikleo, you feeling okay?” Sorey asked. He had the same dopey look he always had, and it made the butterflies in Mikleo’s stomach go crazy. “Your overthinking gives me kind of a headache…or maybe it’s the malevolence in the area.” Mikleo remained silent. He figured that he should wait until they had a few battles under their belt before asking what they had said. “Do you want me to just come out and say it?”

“H-Huh? Say what?” Mikleo meekly said.

“Something’s bothering you, and it’s starting to bother me. Let me try and guess.”

“N-No, it’s fine—.”

“You’re curious about what Lailah and Edna said!”

Right on the nail’s head, or so it would have been if they hadn’t explicitly told him their plan as Mikleo had thought. He confirmed Sorey’s guess just to sate him.

“I don’t know. They just seemed kind of worried about you. Edna said she’s been noticing that you get knocked down pretty often in combat, and that’s just not good for team morale. So we’re going to practice like the old days! We’re going to get down and dirty!”

Mikleo almost turned back. Training with Sorey meant reinforcing Dezel’s harsh description of his fighting-style—he used his staff like a club because he was short for a guy. Despite his element being water, Mikleo knew he was far from graceful with his weapon of choice. At the same time, training with Sorey made him feel warm and safe mainly because all the exercise and experience was hardening him to battle.

When the two had found a clearing away from hellions—Sorey expressing that he’d rather not fight them without all of his seraphim—they unsheathed or summoned their weapons. They assumed a decent distance to build momentum between each other. They flew at one another deflecting and reflecting blows, dodging and parrying swings. A rounded staff was completely different from a sharpened sword; Sorey had to treat Mikleo like his life was in danger while also not killing him in the process. Mikleo, by stark contrast, was focusing on being more elegant, making his attacks flow, and overall paying attention to his form. Why not try to look sexy _and_ fight more efficiently? Unfortunately, that attention to insignificant detail got him caught on the edge of the Sacred Blade.

“M-Mikleo! I’m so sorry!” Sorey panicked. The icy rain that had been over the Pendrago area for months fell on the scratch, eliciting a slight burning sensation. Mikleo’s bright red blood streamed through the sleeve of his shirt. “Oh, man…this is a lot worse than I thought it was…”

“It’s fine. Just put some peach gel on it when we get back. It’s not like I’m going to die. Actually, can seraphim even get infections?” the pearly-haired seraph asked. Sorey looked genuinely upset. “Really, Sorey, I’ve gotten hurt a lot in the past when we were kids. Not to mention all the beatings I’ve taken from hellions.” When Sorey suggested they head back to the inn, Mikleo’s stomach subconsciously dropped. It was now or never! He had to go through with the Heart Fusion! 

“S-Sorey!”

“W-What?! Is it infected already?!”

“Do you…Let’s do the Heart Fusion! Edna said that it would deepen our pact and…and I want to get stronger for you! I want you to depend on me!”

Sorey stared at him blankly. Clearly, he didn’t understand anything.

“U-Um, why are you looking at me like that? You’re making me embarrassed!”

“What is this ‘Heart Fusion’?”

Mikleo sheepishly described the method Edna had shared with him and Lailah with hope that Sorey would just agree to do it. There wasn’t anyone for a few miles in any direction; the area was secluded enough, not to mention Sorey looked mighty fine in the rain. The two of them were silent for a time what with the innocent Shepherd trying to fathom how a method like that existed and Lailah knew nothing of it. Of course, there was always that oath that prevented her from saying anything in regards to Shepherds and their duties. Edna was also much older than Mikleo (assuming), and she lived with her brother Eizen until he turned into a dragon. This method, however, was only hearsay. Sorey didn’t want to risk anything, but seeing the earnest shine in Mikleo’s somewhat desperate eyes, he agreed.

“You’ll have to instruct me what to do. If only Edna were here, then we could do it right,” the Shepherd mumbled thoughtfully. That, of course, would be something like voyeurism. Or exhibitionism. Whatever it was, it wouldn’t be appropriate and Mikleo would probably break his pact to save himself the embarrassment.

The first condition was met; now onto the second condition that required the willpower of every Shepherd that ever existed. “Now, we must remove our clothes,” Mikleo bashfully said. As he undid his ornamental shirt, he swallowed hard. When he looked up at Sorey, he was shocked that he was already down to his underwear. Was he just extremely dim or extremely excited? More importantly, how did he disrobe so quickly without making a sound? Had he learned it from Rose?

“Do you need help?” Sorey innocently asked.

“N-No! I’m a grown man! I can take off my own clothes!” Mikleo retorted. He wasn’t completely lying; at times of extreme fatigue, he required help from Sorey to at least help with the belts on his shirt…but seeing Sorey like he was now made things much more difficult. Mikleo finally got his shirt off, and when he started fiddling with his pants, he realized something.

Normal people couldn’t see him.

He didn’t know what was more embarrassing: getting naked in front of him or a random traveler passing by and seeing the Shepherd standing in the nude out in a field in the rain. The water seraph left his pants alone as he looked up with lavender eyes. After he grabbed up his shirt from the mud, he merged into Sorey, speaking to him in his mind so he couldn’t see his face:

_“Maybe we should go back.”_

“Huh? Why?” Sorey questioned. “We have to be alone for the Heart Fusion, don’t we?”

_“Yeah, but…don’t you think it would be weird if you were walking to Pendrago and saw the Shepherd just standing around with his…you know…hanging out? Let’s just forget this even happened.”_

Sorey was prepared to argue with him that his training was as important to him as saving the world from the Lord of Calamity. The sound of Mikleo’s voice, though, suggested that arguing was the last thing he wanted. The Shepherd did as he was asked, and he walked back to Pendrago; however, he did force Mikleo to walk beside him.

***

Rose and Dezel had returned by the time Sorey and Mikleo returned. Lailah and Edna had pulled them into a crude game of Old Maid made with some old paper sheets the fire seraph had stockpiled from their numerous battles.

“Oh, hey!” Rose greeted.

“How was your training?” Lailah asked. She and Edna had a very curious look in their eyes. Sorey told them that Mikleo was doing fine, but both of them needed a bath now thanks to the downpour and the resulting mud. This then garnered in a pair of hostile eyes from Edna, who pushed the two of them into the bathroom together and stood guard by the door. Rose asked why she would think that’s necessary, but Edna didn’t answer—not even to the scarier Dezel.

Meanwhile, Sorey was already soaking in the bathtub. Mikleo, for the most part, refused to even undress in front of him. But why? He had to ask himself. They had been together ever since they were babies; they had seen each other naked before. Why was this time any different? Oh, right…he craved Sorey and his affection.

“Um…the water’s not getting any warmer,” Sorey said with confusion. “What’s with this behavior?”

“What behavior? I don’t have any behavior. I just don’t want to be naked in front of you, that’s all,” Mikleo calmly said with his back towards Sorey. Was that convincing? Yeah, that was convincing. Or so he thought until Sorey threw a bowlful of water at him, soap and mud mixed in it. “Cut it out!”

“Tub. Now.”

“You’re not Gramps. You can’t tell me what to do,” Mikleo spat back. He puffed out a cheek to calm himself.

“Fine, then I’ll drag you in here myself! C’mere!”

“Sorey, no!”

And all the while from outside the bathroom, Rose was concerned for her friends’ wellbeing. She begged Edna to move out of the way so she could assist the two fighting it out in the bathroom, but the little earth seraph stonewalled her. The next thing everyone heard was a massive splash followed by the yelling of some disgruntled banshee.

Mikleo, forced to remove his clothes due to being coated in mud, crossed his arms with an irate look. He sat on the opposite side of the small tub. He glared at his Shepherd even when he offered to wash his back for him. Within a few seconds, he had turned around for him to scrub his back only because he had gotten mud there. The idea of the Heart Fusion reared its ugly head in his mind, yet another part of him argued against it. They weren’t necessarily secluded from everyone else. A wooden door was the only barrier between them and the others for Drago Stew’s sake! Everyone would hear them…or rather they wouldn’t hear them and probably think they drowned. In a bathtub.

“Here’s an idea. Why don’t you go make another round of the city? Stock up on equipment?” they heard Edna say.

“What blacksmith is going to be up at this hour?!” Rose retaliated.

“Why don’t you go find out?”

There was some mumbling then the door slammed. Rose and Dezel had left. Mikleo could only guess that Lailah and Edna were trying to help him out…again.

The water seraph, now devoid of filth, almost timidly turned to the Shepherd with reddened cheeks and nervously shifting eyes. Mustering the courage, he finally said, “Let’s do the Heart Fusion.”

“Ugh, finally!” Sorey sighed. “Okay, what do we do?”

Mikleo and Sorey looked at each other, the former swallowing hard. The white-haired seraph inched closer into his partner’s arms with his hands resting on the chest that had become so chiseled from so many battles against the hellions. They spread over his pectorals down his arms and met his hands. Fingers intertwined, Mikleo took another few steps so that his entire body rested against Sorey. He started to worry if it looked weird, if it felt strange, if Sorey didn’t want to partake in it. After a couple minutes, he noticed nothing felt any different.

“I…I don’t understand…wasn’t something supposed to happen?” Mikleo murmured. He pulled away from Sorey a little, but he was drawn back in with a chaste kiss on his trembling lips. “Sorey…?”

“Edna and Lailah aren’t very good at keeping their ulterior motives hidden,” Sorey whispered in his ear. Butterfly-light kisses lined Mikleo’s jaw and tendons in his neck to his clavicles. The brunet slowly wrapped his arms around his water seraph, the kisses becoming harder. The water seraph was frozen in his grip. He wasn’t sure what to think. Had Sorey known? Did they explicitly tell him like he had thought?

Lailah and Edna listened from outside the bathroom. The sudden silence was their signal that they should probably go to bed themselves. Both of them—Edna, more internally—hoped that everything worked out for Mikleo.

The kissing had ceased while the touching continued into long embraces. Mikleo’s forehead just touched the top of Sorey’s shoulder. Sorey buried his face into Mikleo’s neck. It was almost as if Sorey wanted to encourage him with these feelings. He dotted his neck again with innocent kisses. Every once in a while there was a nip at the porcelain-white skin, those emerald eyes looking up at Mikleo to see if there was any adverse reaction to them, but the seraph seemed to have lost himself in the bliss of the moment.

Yet with his amethyst eyes glazed over, Mikleo finally found the confidence to show his affection. He kissed Sorey’s clavicle and worked up to his lips. The two met, the kisses growing deeper and more passionate now that they realized they had the same feelings. Mikleo sought after the other’s tongue in desperate need. He urged him to hold him closer, and Sorey complied by pushing him again the edge of the bathtub as he continued his flurries of love. He pushed into him more and more.

Mikleo suddenly regained himself, and in doing so, stop reciprocating. He looked up at Sorey with rosy cheeks and dazed eyes. “Why are you stopping?” Sorey asked. “Ah, was I being too forceful?!”

The water seraph smiled at him—a smile that was sweeter than usual. “No, I think we’ve actually completed the Heart Fusion…Stage One. I think maybe we should wait until we’re _really_ alone to go on to the next stage, if you know what I mean.”

“You’re getting shy, aren’t you!”

“Sorey, don’t ruin the damn moment! We can go all-out when Lailah and Edna aren’t here.” Mikleo, who had a semblance to a wet kitten the whole time they kissed, transformed into a rather devious-looking fox. “After all, we’re going to be together for a _long time_ …”

Sorey smirked at him. The two finished their bath and got ready for bed. Little did they know, the Heart Fusion was actually written into one specific copy of the Celestial Record by a specific earth seraph.

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry for the dip in quality. This was written when I was about 50% through the game. I might make a part 2; I haven't decided yet.


End file.
